ZA200901736B - Improved construction system for buildings - Google Patents

Description

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IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM FOR BUILDINGS

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to the construction industry, in particular to the structural elements used in a prefabricated construction system of buildings; more specifically it relates to the design, development and implementation of a building system using connected structural panels to form walls, stairs and other minor elements in buildings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The traditional construction method which is currently used is always based on the use of bricks, in its different classes, shapes and sizes, or lightweight concrete blocks in different thicknesses and sizes.

This construction method has numerous drawbacks, which include:

The handling of blocks and bricks at the construction site, even if they are palletized, is not easy. They can often be handled manually and other times, when the conditions so require, specialized machinery is used for said purpose, which requires excessive labour necessary for its handling and consequent : increase in costs.

They are fragile building elements, so their placement produces a large waste. The process involved in erecting a wall is slow, regardless of being formed with plaster or with cement mortar, as it is necessary to wait several days before being able to working on it again. "In order to install the plumbing, electricity, heating, telephone and sanitation systems, it has traditionally been necessary to make holes ‘in the walls, which weakens them, produces a lot of rubble, and it is necessary to cover the hole, which is slow and leads to the appearance of fissures or cracks in the finished wall. :

The final appearance of a brick or concrete block wall is not that of a finished wall, except for those that we want to remain visible, meaning that it is necessary to plaster it with cement mortar or set it with plaster.

Bricks and concrete blocks are lightweight elements in themselves, but the finished wall multiplies its original weight by several times. This must therefore be taken into account when calculating the weight of the structure.

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In a traditional construction, concrete blocks and bricks are not used as load-bearing walls; they are normally dividing walls, so it is necessary to build a horizontal and vertical structure that supports the building.

Clay or cement posts require steel reinforcement when designed as a load-bearing wall.

The cost of labour is high and in increasingly short supply.

The high demand for housing cannot be met by conventional building methods.

Severe weather conditions limit the time of year in which conventional systems can be used for construction.

The present invention was devised to deal with all of the drawbacks, disadvantages and problems resuiting from traditional or conventional building systems, and offers great advantages in terms of functionality, economy, more minor structural aspects, greater manoeuvrability, greater resistance to different loads, greater durability, better appearance, etc.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide connected structural panels for buildings which are self-supporting and pre-fabricated to build walls, floor slabs, stairs, etc., of buildings capable of being covered with cement mortar and connected to each other with vertical and horizontal “shear keys” which monolithically constitute the support structure of the building.

Another objective of the invention is to provide connected structural panels for buildings, which furthermore permit the division of the construction in a logical way according to its functional and architectural divisions, to facilitate the joints between elements, installations and finishing.

Another objective of the invention is to provide said connected structural panels for buildings, which furthermore essentially resist the forces on their plane due to vertical or lateral loads in the shaping of building walls; in their use as slabs they resist normal forces to their plane due to vertical loads and forces on their plane, acting as rigid diaphragms against lateral loads.

Another objective of the invention is to provide said connected structural panels for buildings, which can also resist vertical loads, due to the smal clearings that exist in buildings of social interest, and to support lateral loads, due to the density of walls in both directions.

Another of the objectives of the invention is to provide said connected structural panels for buildings, which furthermore are manageable, lightweight and do not require any special handling; and which at the same time require very little manpower for their transport and installation.

Another of the objectives of the invention is to provide said connected structural panels for buildings, which furthermore permit the building of walls and floors quickly and precisely.

Still another objective of the invention is to provide said connected structural panels for buildings, which, once installed, also permit the implementation of the electrical, plumbing, telephone, heating and sanitation installations, built into the structural element, without having to make any kind of hole, without producing rubble and without weakening the walls erected.

Yet another objective of the invention is to provide said connected + structural panels for buildings, which furthermore permit the construction of housing partition walls, air chamber linings, housing separation walls and staircases; non-load-bearing facade enclosures and stairway steps; and interior load-bearing facade walls and floors.

Yet another objective of the invention is to provide said connected structural panels for buildings, in which furthermore the walls built therefrom are much lighter than those erected from simple dry-stacking of bricks or concrete blocks, which results in a significant savings in the structure of tall buildings.

Other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the study of the following description and the non-limitative drawings which accompany it with exclusively illustrative purposes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In general, the connected structural panels for buildings consist of a frame defined by peripheral trusses, wherein each truss consists of a metal structure based on parallel rods tangentially joined to a wavy zigzag rod at the corresponding peaks and troughs thereof; a plurality of vertical trusses thus formed are distributed equidistantly or non-equidistantly, at a pre-determined distance, acting as structural elements, and a plurality of horizontal and/or diagonal transversal rods are fastened to both the front and rear faces distributed equidistantly or non-equidistantly, at a pre-determined distance as reinforcing elements to make the panel more rigid, the assembly defining a 5 hollow three-dimensional box; on both external front and rear faces it joins to a metal framework made of galvanized or non-galvanized cold rolled sheet steel, die-cut and expanded, as means of support for the mortar which is applied on the front and rear faces as a covering to form the wall.

All of the joints of these selected metals are made by means of spot welding in a workshop, using an automatic process.

The rods of the panel can be of variable diameters depending on their structural function; and their separation varies from 50 mm to 200 mm, depending on the use wherefore each element is designed, whether it is for walls, fagades, stairs, load-bearing walls or floors.

The metal framework is manufactured from galvanized or non-galvanized cold rolled sheet steel with thicknesses of 0.3 m/m, 0.4 m/m and 0.5 m/m, die- cut and expanded, and can comprise intermediate reinforcement ribs; adjusted to a width of 600 mm and a variable length according to the height of the structural panel. Said metal framework comprises a coating of anti-corrosive material.

The structural panel preferably uses a thickness of 0.3 m/m for the metal frame, given that the aim of the metal framework is solely to act as a support for the cement mortar that is spread. This metal framework can have a panel adhered to its upper surface (depending on the panel in question), which prevents the air chamber from filing with finishing mortar and producing undesired thermal bridges. In one of the modalities, said metal framework is cut with a width of 560 mm for each face of the 600 mm structural module and it is welded to the inner face.

In the case of the door and window bays, the edges of the panels also comprise the metal frame in fixed form to receive the mortar as a coating in those areas in order to create the surface that receives the window and door frames.

Likewise, and depending on the wall in question, load-bearing facades, separations between dwellings and staircases, the interior chamber can, if so required, be filled with any type of insulation, formaldehyde foam, rigid polyurethane foam, or glass wool, according to the thickness of the chamber and of the type of insulation that is desired, thermal or acoustic and thermal, always applicable in different thicknesses and densities.

The panel can be manufactured in many different dimensions according to the needs of the construction project and according to the use or purpose of each panel, whether it is for walls, fagades, stairs, load-bearing walls or floors.

The vertical panel, whether it is for exterior or internal walls or for divisions between housings, it is mounted vertically on the framework of the strip footing, once it is levelled it is fastened thereto by means of said projecting ends of the vertical rods of the trusses.

In the shaping of walls, a panel can be produced which covers the entire surface of a wall or several panels can be formed in order to complete that surface, connecting the panels attached through either a 0.8 m/m thick galvanized wire, or with a shear key, which consists of a rounded, U-shaped section which hook around the adjacent parallel vertical rods of the trusses of adjacent panels on the front or rear face, and whose ends are bent around the corresponding adjacent parallel vertical rods of the same trusses but on the opposing face; thus forming the wall in question, then placing the structural steel of the structural shearing key.

Once the floor has been fastened and the wall has been formed, the installations are set back up and placed inside the wall, cutting the metal framework to insert the pipes and fasten the (electrical) mechanisms. The pipes of the electricity, hydraulic, sanitation, telephone, etc. systems can be incorporated within the panels and fastened with some plane means during the assembly of the panel or onsite during their installation.

Once the placement of the installations has been completed, the two faces of the structural element are covered with cement mortar (for external facades and structural walls in internal fagades, separations between dwellings and staircases) or with plaster mortar (for non-structural partitioning, linings)

- depending on the function which is carried out in the building.

In accordance with the dimensions necessary for the job to be done, the panels in question can be created from a module of 60 cm X h (height) x t (thickness) according to the international building standards.

The adoption of the modular system for the structural panels, as a basis for standardizing the building elements in a housing project of social interest is a fundamental condition for industrializing production.

The configuration of the panels permits the coordination of the dimensions of all the building elements, materials and installations, relating to a basic call module, simplifying the work of the technicians as much as possible; thus the production will be more economical and the building work will be done more quickly and easily.

The dimensions of the structural panel are large enough to be able to establish a suitable correlation between the modular dimensions of the elements and the modular spaces of a project.

Likewise, the structural panel is small enough for its multiples to correspond to all the dimensions that have to be given for the different elements in the industrial range, and to constitute a suitable growth unit from one modular dimension to the next, so that modifications can be kept to a minimum.

The panel can also be used for the shaping of floor slabs.

The pre-fabricated structures from the structural panel are thick building elements constructed with structural steel, sufficiently rigid for its transportation and self-supporting for on site assembly, ready to receive the structural mortar at the building site and form a cement wall, resistant to the vertical loads of the building and the horizontal loads of a seismic event.

On site, the panels form the wall by means of connections with the previously mentioned “shear keys” which, furthermore constitute vertical stiffeners.

The constructed walls are connected to the foundation beam and the floor slab formed using the same system.

The panels in the constructions for use in housing, offices, schools, hospitals, etc., feature their exterior and interior parameters, respectively finished and prepared to receive a structural mortar, and have a geometry with two main dimensions, one being the floor height according to the project, including therewith the bays for doors and windows; and the other being the thickness determined according to the respective structural design.

The system provides for the re-fabrication of all the panels for all the exterior and interior walls, floor slabs, stairs, etc., and variants are possible, mainly in the case of the facades wherein one wants to lend a specific importance to the design of bays for windows, doors, etc.

The structure thus formed ensures continuity and functions as a monolithic assembly against the actions of gravity and earthquakes.

The performance of these panel-based structures against seismic actions is within the elastic range, with small deformations.

In the buildings, the structural panel system described herein is suitable for three-dimensional arrangements of modular panels which are efficient in resisting vertical loads, due to the small clearances in buildings of social interest, and in supporting lateral loads, due to the density of walls in both directions.

The walls erected with the structural panels are much more lightweight than those erected with simple dry-stacking of brick or concrete blocks. One m? of wall erected with the structural panel weighs 100 kg/m? (dry-stacked) finished with cement mortar. Meanwhile, one m? of dry-stacked hollow brick double-layer partition weighs 160 kg/m?

The structural panels as described herein can have a variety of uses, such as: a) for the construction of load-bearing walls; for supporting walls, i.e. load- bearing walls, the main structure undergoes slight variations with respect to the structure of the rest of the non-structural walls, according to the respective design.

Their standard dimension is 500 m/m wide by a variable height and its thickness is variable, depending on the design of the project, and they are connected with shear keys.

For example, for a one-story house, each 600 mm wide panel forms a

600 mm x 240 mm vertical cement element. Once covered, formed by two lateral trusses manufactured with round bars and round diagonal bars (fulfilling the function of frame stirrups).

Between attached walls a shear key can be formed on each side of the 600 mm wide modules, the diagonal rods will alternatively protrude from the 80 mm edge truss. These rod loops will be horizontally tied to the adjacent panel . by means of 0.8 mm wide galvanized wire, leaving a 100 mm separation between modules.

It is necessary to anchor these load-bearing walls to the foundations and tie them thereto in a way so that a knot capable of resisting the compression loads transmitted thereto by the upper floor is created. To do this, every 600 mm, i.e. where the resistant support is formed, the two lateral steel round bars that form the trusses will be extended to between 15 and 30 cm and their ends will be bent to form an anchor clamp; this framework will remain anchored to the foundation, being capable of transmitting the compression stress that the load- bearing wall is submitted to.

Once the module is fastened to the foundation and the wall has been formed, its two sides are covered with 150 kg/cm? cement mortar and the support (foundation) is covered with concrete with a strength of 210 kg/cm?

In order to be able to apply the concrete it is necessary to place a board on each exterior face, attached to the lateral trusses with wire and nails nailed into it, then the wires can be cut and the formwork can be removed after 7 days have passed.

Should better acoustic and thermal insulation be required than that achieved by the air chamber of the structural panel, sheets of an insulating material of the necessary characteristics and thicknesses may be inserted before covering the wall. b) for floors, using the designed framework in floor slabs with spans of up to 4.00 metres, this is identical to that used in load-bearing walls, except that it is laid horizontally, and what was the strong support in walls, in floors it is the joist that is made "in situ" or partially prefabricated in floors. In turn, the two sides of the structure are finished in a different way; the upper side is

- finished with the obligatory 50 mm thick compression layer and the lower side is finished with 20 mm of projected cement mortar.

In the compression layer and above the joists it will be necessary to place the round steel bars as negatives and of diameters depending on the span of the floor, in accordance with a respective structural design, as well as a steel mesh for temperatures and refractions. A structural design must be prepared for each building project. c) as complementary elements, where the building work requires the use of main structures that are designed to fulfil the function of lintels and window sills. It is known that the module used in the main structure can have a height of 2600 mm, of which a height of 80 mm is reserved for the floor finish and for putting in the horizontal installations. Additionally, 20 mm must be subtracted for the finish of the lower face of the element that forms the floor.

Therefore, we have a clearance height of 2500 mm, which complies with the specifications for dwellings of all type.

This clearance height, where the placement of a window is provided for, is divided into: lintel: 400 mm high; window opening: 1200 mm high; windowsill: 1000 mm high (920 mm of clearance height).

Therefore, the lintel is made from a main structure that is 600 mm wide by 400 mm high, with the same characteristics as the main framework used in the exterior walls, whether load-bearing or not, only the upper and lower ends of the trusses varying. Thus, the 6 or 8 mm round bars at the end of these project from the end of the truss by 150 mm, to be built into the lateral elements of the wall, serving as load-bearing supports.

The windowsills are made with a main structure that is 600 mm wide by 1000 mm high, leaving 920 mm of clearance once the floor is finished and the horizontal installations are put in. The dimensions are variable, the dimensions of the panel being adapted according to the necessities of the project.

To make the window openings, the dimensions can be adjusted according to the needs of the project, both in their width and height .

The main framework is comprised of round steel bars of a variable diameter according to the element in question and the height thereof.

This type of round bar is normally used in the frameworks of joists made "in situ" for floors with larger spans than those used with this module.

In turn it can have a paper adhered to its lower part or not, depending on the situation; it normally has this for partitions and interior dividing walls in housings.

The mortars used are those normal in the market, which are especially manufactured to be projected.

Alternatively, a type of plaster with better acoustic and thermal insulation can be used, e.g. Perliyeso or Perlinar, which is made from a mixture of perlite and plaster, with better thermal and acoustic insulation and fireproof properties than normal plaster.

For a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention a set of illustrative but non-limitative drawings accompany the present description as an integral part thereof, which are described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a side view of one of the trusses that form the structural panel for buildings.

Figure 1a shows a side view of a portion of a truss of the panel according to the present invention.

Figure 2 shows a conventional perspective view of a standard structural panel for buildings according to the present invention.

Figure 2a shows a conventional perspective view of another modality of a panel for buildings.

FIGS. 2b and 2c show details "A" and "B", as indicated in fig. 2, of the upper and lower ends, respectively, of the standard structural panel for buildings according to the present invention.

Figure 3 is a conventional perspective view of a structural panel with a door opening, according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a conventional perspective view of a structural panel with a window opening, according to the present invention.

Figure 5 shows a conventional perspective view of a plurality of panels

Joined together to form a house structure with a gable roof, with structural panels according to the present invention.

Figure 6 shows a conventional perspective view of a structural panel for buildings showing the mortar that will be applied to both sides to form a wali.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a building made from the panels according to the present invention.

For a better understanding of the invention, a detailed description will now follow of some of the modalities thereof, as shown in the non-limiting drawings that are attached to the present description for illustrative purposes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The characteristic details of the connected structural panels for buildings are clearly shown in the following description and in the illustrative drawings that are attached, which serve as reference marks to indicate the parts that are being referred to.

With reference to figure 1, it shows a side view of one of the trusses that form the structural panel for buildings. In said figure, the trusses 1 consist of a metal structure based on two parallel rods 2 that are tangentially joined to a wavy zigzag rod 3 by its corresponding peaks and troughs.

With reference to figure 1a, it shows a side view of a portion of a truss 1 of the panel according to the present invention. In said figure, it can be observed that the zigzag rod 3 is tangentially joined to both the parallel rods 2, where the peaks 4 and troughs 5 are fixed to the corresponding parallel rod 2.

The peaks and troughs 4 and 5 of the wavy rod 2 have a longitudinal section that ensures a tangential joint with the parallel rods 2 along a considerable longitudinal section, making the structure stronger.

With reference to figure 2, it shows a conventional perspective view of a : standard structural panel for buildings according to the present invention. In said figure, the panel is made up of a frame defined by peripheral trusses 1 like those described in figures 1 and 2; a plurality of vertical trusses 1a thus formed are distributed equidistantly or non-equidistantly within the frame at a predetermined distance, which act as structural elements, and a plurality of horizontal and/or diagonal transversal rods 6 are fastened to both the front and rear faces distributed equidistantly or non-equidistantly at a predetermined distance as reinforcement elements to stiffen the panel, the assembly defining a hollow three-dimensional box; a metal framework 7 made from cold-rolled sheet steel, galvanized or non-galvanized, die-cast and expanded, is joined to both the front and rear external faces, as a means of support for the mortar (not shown) that is applied to the front and rear faces as a covering to form the wall.

Said metal framework 7 is tightened to prevent deformations and it is welded to both the parallel rods 2 of each peripheral truss 1 and the plurality of vertical trusses 1a and to the transversal rods 6 that reinforce and stiffen the panel.

With reference to figure 2a, it shows a conventional perspective view of another modality of a panel for buildings. In said figure, the panel is made up of a frame defined by peripheral trusses 1 like those described in figures 1 and 2; said peripheral trusses 1 act as structural elements and a plurality of transversal rods 6, which in this case are diagonal, are fastened to both the front and rear faces distributed equidistantly or non-equidistantly at a predetermined distance as reinforcement elements to stiffen the panel, the assembly defining a hollow three-dimensional box; a metal framework 7 made from cold-rolled sheet steel, galvanized or non-galvanized, die-cast and expanded, is joined to both the front and rear external faces, as a means of support for the mortar (not shown) that is applied to the front and rear faces as a covering to form the wall. The panel may be wider and may comprise several vertical trusses 1 within the frame.

The panel shows the lower 8 and upper 9 extensions of the parallel rods 2 that form each vertical truss, as a means of fastening and securing the panel to the foundation and for anchoring the panel to the roof plate, or for preparing the panel that acts as formwork for mounting the roof plate.

With reference to figures 2b and 2c, they show details "A" and "B" as indicated in figure 2, of the upper and lower ends, respectively, of the standard structural panel for buildings according to the present invention. In said figures ~ 30 the lower and upper ends of the vertical parallel rods 2 that make up each truss 1 and 1a project beyond the limit of the corresponding lower and upper faces of the panel, the projecting lower ends 8 of each truss 1 and 1a (see figure 2b)

projecting from the panel to be fastened and secured to the foundation (not shown). The projecting upper ends 9 of the parallel rods 2 of each truss 1 and 1a (see figure 2a) project upward from the panel to anchor the panel to the roof plate, or to prepare the panel that acts as formwork for mounting the roof plate.

With reference to figure 3, it shows a conventional perspective view of a structural panel with a door bay, according to the present invention. In said figure, the structural panel is made up of peripheral trusses 1 and comprises at least another two trusses 1a that define the limits of the door bay 10 and a horizontal upper truss 11 that defines the upper limit of the door bay 10; a plurality of transversal rods 6 joined to both the front and rear faces, distributed equidistantly or non-equidistantly at a predetermined distance as reinforcement elements to stiffen the panel.

With reference to figure 4, it illustrates a conventional perspective view of a structural panel with a window bay, according to the present invention. In said figure, the structural panel is made up of peripheral trusses 1 and other intermediate trusses 1a of the frame, some of which are shorter to define the window bay 12, two vertical trusses 1a and two horizontal trusses 13, one at the top and one at the bottom, delimiting said window bay 12; a plurality of transversal rods 6 joined to both the front and rear faces of the panel, distributed equidistantly or non-equidistantly at a predetermined distance as reinforcements elements to stiffen the panel.

In both the panels shown in figures 3 and 4, the metal framework 7 is integrated into both the front and rear faces of the panels (framework 7 not shown so that the structure of the panel can be seen better).

In both figures 3 and 4, the metal framework 7 (not shown so that the structure of panel can be seen better) is also fastened to the edges around the door 10 and window 12 bays to receive the mortar and create a covering in those areas to create the surface that receives the window and door frames.

With reference to figure 5, a plurality of panels of the same and different configurations, in accordance with the needs of the project, are joined together by shear keys (not shown) to form a house structure with a gable roof, using structural panels according to the present invention, which define the different areas of the house, with its door and window bays 10 and 12. The metal framework is not shown so that the structure of the panel can be seen better, which receives the mortar to create a covering and thereby form the walls of the house. All the panels are anchored by the projecting lower ends 8 of each truss 1 and 1a, which project from the panel to be fastened and secured to the foundation (not shown). The projecting upper ends 9 of the parallel rods 2 of each truss 1 and 1a project upward from the panel to anchor the panel to the roof plate, or to prepare the panel that acts as formwork for mounting the roof plate. The same numerical references are used in figure 5 as in the previous figures.

With reference to figure 6, in a structural panel for buildings, the application of a first layer 14 of mortar can be observed and a second thickening layer 15 is applied over the first, the mortar being applied to both sides of the panel to form a wall 16, the tightened metal framework 7 that is fastened to both sides of the panel to the parallel rods 2 of both the peripheral 1 and intermediate trusses 1a and to the transversal rods 6, acting as a support for the mortar.

The minimum thickness to be used for the cement mortar covering is approximately 25 mm, projected using a machine or manually in two continuous layers 14 and 15 and in an amount that is capable of creating a minimum strength of 100 kg/cm.sup.2. Prepared or stabilized mortars can be used, with a predetermined mixture to ensure its adherence to the metal framework and to prevent it from entering the panel.

For the mortar finish, the surface must be levelled with aluminium straight edges in order to achieve a perfectly flat surface of the finished wall.

With reference to figure 7, it shows a schematic diagram of a building made from the panels according to the present invention. In said figure, it can be observed that the building comprises vertical panels which form sides for the forming of load-bearing walls 17 and a plurality of panels which form the slabs 18 whereon other vertical panels are secured and anchored which form sides for the forming of the load-bearing walls 17a of second and third levels.

The door bays 10 and window bays 12 are made from the panels as

~~ described in figures 3 and 4; for the window bays 12 the panel above the bay 12 defines the lintels 19 and the panel below the bay 12 defines the windowsill, or in other cases a single panel comprises the window bay as shown and described in figure 4 and the upper section defines the lintel 19 and the lower section defines the windowsill 20.

The invention has been sufficiently described for a person skilled in the art to reproduce and obtain the results mentioned herein. However, any person skilled in the art that uses the present invention may be able to make modifications that are not described in the present application and where the subject matter claimed in the following claims is required for the application of these modifications to the particular structure or to the manufacturing process thereof, said structures must lie within the scope of the invention.

Claims (14)

LLL CLAIMS

1. Connected structural panels for buildings, characterized in that they are made of a frame defined by peripheral trusses, wherein each truss consists of a metal structure based on two parallel rods tangentially joined to a wavy zigzag rod; a plurality of vertical trusses thus formed distributed at a distance predetermined equidistantly or non-equidistantly act as structural elements; a plurality of horizontal and/or diagonal transversal rods are fastened to both front and back sides at a predetermined distance distributed equidistantly or non- equidistantly, as reinforcement elements to stiffen the panel, wherein an assembly of the connected structural panels defines a hollow three-dimensional box; a tightened metal framework is joined to both the front and rear faces as a means of support for mortar that is applied to the front and rear faces as a covering to form a wall.

2. Connected structural panels for buildings, according to claim 1, characterized in that all joints between the parallel rods with the wavy zigzag rod and the transversal rods, as well as joints of said metal framework, are formed by spot welding using an automatic process.

3. Connected structural panels for buildings, according to claim 1, characterized in that said metal framework is made from cold-rolled sheet steel with thicknesses of 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm and 0.5 mm, galvanized or non-galvanized, die-cast and expanded, and it can comprise intermediate reinforcement ribs; adjusted to a width of 600 mm and a variable length according to the height of the structural panel.

4. Connected structural panels for buildings, according to claims 1 and 3, characterized in that said metal framework can have a paper backing adhered thereto, which prevents an air chamber of the panels from filling with finishing mortar and causing undesired thermal bridges.

5. Connected structural panels for buildings, according to previous claims, characterized in that the inner chamber of the panels generates a volume of air as insulation, once the sides have been covered with the mortar.

6. Connected structural panels for buildings, according to previous claims, characterized in that the inner chamber of the panels is filled with an insulating material selected from formaldehyde foam, rigid polyurethane foam, or glass wool, according to the thickness of the chamber and the type of insulation that is required, whether thermal or acoustic and thermal, which is always applicable in different thicknesses and densities.

7. Connected structural panels for buildings, according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that adjacent panels are joined to form walls either by galvanized wire of a predetermined thickness or by a shear key, which secure the parallel rods of adjacent peripheral trusses, distributed at points along the longitudinal section of said parallel rods.

8. Connected structural panels for buildings, according to claim 7, characterized in that said shear keys consist of a rounded U-shaped section that is hooked around adjacent parallel vertical rods of the trusses of adjacent panels on the front or back, the ends of which are bent around the corresponding adjacent parallel vertical rods of the same trusses but on the opposite face.

9 Connected structural panels for buildings, according to claim 1, characterized in that said transversal rods are fastened diagonally, projecting alternately from the edge of the frame to bend and secure an adjacent panel.

10. Connected structural panels for buildings, according to previous claims, characterized in that lower and upper ends of parallel vertical rods that make up each truss project beyond a limit of the corresponding lower and upper sides of the panel, the projecting lower ends of each truss are bent to form a clamp that can be fastened and secured to the foundation to anchor the panels, whilst the projecting upper ends are bent to anchor the panel to the roof plate, or to prepare the panel that acts as formwork for mounting the roof plate.

11. Connected structural panels for buildings, according to previous claims, characterized in that they comprise door and window bays.

12. Connected structural panels for buildings, according to claim 11, characterized in that edges of the door and window openings are delimited by trusses, to which a section of metal framework is fastened to receive the mortar in those areas and create the surface that receives the window and door frames.

13. Connected structural panels for buildings, according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said metal framework comprises a coating of an anticorrosive material.

14. Connected structural panels for buildings according to claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures. . +h ! Dated this || day of March 9.009 Patent oh / Agent for the Applicant